Technical advances in the identification, cloning, expression, and manipulation of nucleic acid molecules have greatly accelerated the discovery of novel therapeutics based upon deciphering the human genome. Rapid nucleic acid sequencing techniques can now generate sequence information at unprecedented rates and, coupled with computational analyses, allow the assembly of overlapping sequences into entire genomes and the identification of polypeptide-encoding regions. Comparison of a predicted amino acid sequence against a database compilation of known amino acid sequences can allow one to determine the extent of homology to previously identified sequences and/or structural landmarks. Cloning and expression of a polypeptide-encoding region of a nucleic acid molecule provides a polypeptide product for structural and functional analysis. Manipulation of nucleic acid molecule and encoded polypeptides to give variants and derivatives thereof may confer advantageous properties on a product for use as a therapeutic.
In spite of the significant technical advances in genome research over the past decade, the potential for development of novel therapeutics based on the human genome is still largely unrealized. Genes encoding potentially beneficial protein therapeutics, or those encoding polypeptides that may act as “targets” for therapeutic molecules have still not been identified. In addition, structural and functional analyses of polypeptide products from many human genes have not been undertaken.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to identify novel polypeptides and nucleic acid molecules encoding the same which have diagnostic or therapeutic benefit.